View of the Sanctuary of Pythian
Apollo at Delphi (198k)
Photo courtesy of D. White

Greece is the southeasternmost region on the European continent. It is defined
by a series of mountains, surrounded on all sides except the north by water,
and endowed with countless large and small islands. The Ionian and Aegean
seas and the many deep bays and natural harbors along the coastlines allowed
the Greeks to prosper in maritime commerce and to develop a culture which
drew inspiration from many sources, both foreign and indigenous. The Greek
world eventually spread far beyond Greece itself, encompassing many settlements
around the Mediterranean and Black seas and, during the Hellenistic period,
reaching as far east as India. Map

The mountains, which served as natural barriers and boundaries, dictated the
political character of Greece. From early times the Greeks lived in independent
communities isolated from one another by the landscape. Later these communities
were organized into poleis or city-states. The mountains prevented large-scale
farming and impelled the Greeks to look beyond their borders to new lands
where fertile soil was more abundant. Natural resources of gold and silver
were available in the mountains of Thrace in northern Greece and on the island
of Siphnos, while silver was mined from Laurion in Attica. Supplies of iron
ores were also available on the mainland and in the Aegean islands.

The Mediterranean Sea moderates Greece´s climate, cooling the air in
summer and providing warmth in the winter months. Summers are generally hot
and dry. Winters are moderate and rainy in coastal regions and cold and snowy
in mountainous areas.